ニュージーランド ノーザン・プレミアリーグ

ニュージーランド ノーザン・プレミアリーグ

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Auckland Football Federation Northern Region Football Wikipedia

The Northern League is an amateur New Zealand association football competition. It is a top-tier competition during the winter season, and sits at step two overall.

The Northern League includes football clubs located in the northern part of the North Island from the Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. The competition was known as the NRFL Premier until 2021, when New Zealand's football league system was restructured. Clubs compete each season to qualify for the New Zealand National League.

History

The first four years (1965–1969)

In the years 1965–1969, before the launch of a National Soccer League, the Northern League was the highest level competition available to the clubs in the northern region. When the National Soccer League was created in 1970, the Northern League became one of its feeder leagues.

In 1997 and 1998, when the National Soccer League operated as an invitation-only summer league, the Northern League again became the highest level club competition available to the clubs from the northern provinces.

Football Championship (2004–2021)

With the demise of the club-based National Soccer League in 2004, the Northern League, now known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Men's Premier, became part of the highest level of football league competition in New Zealand for the third time in its history. The league runs between the New Zealand autumn and winter months (April to September), while the New Zealand Football Championship runs between the New Zealand spring and summer months (October to March).

National League (2021–)

Auckland City dominance
Season Champions Runners-up
2021 Auckland City Auckland United
2022 Auckland City Birkenhead United
2023 Auckland City Eastern Suburbs
Oceania Double winners
Quadruple winners

In March 2021, New Zealand Football announced a change to the structure of both the premiership and the top regional leagues around the country. The four top regional leagues (NRFL Premier, Central Premier League, Mainland Premier League and the FootballSouth Premier League) would be formed into the Northern League, Central League, and the Southern League. These leagues would allow local clubs to qualify for the premiership season (now known as the National League Championship), with the top 4 teams from the Northern League, the top 3 teams from the Central League, and the top 2 teams from the Southern League making up the competition, alongside the Wellington Phoenix Reserve side. All teams that qualify plus the Phoenix Reserves, would then play a single round-robin competition between September and December.

The first few season were dominated by Auckland City after replacing sister club Central United at the dissolution of the New Zealand Football Championship. Auckland City won the league three consecutive times in their first three seasons. In the 2023 season, Auckland City and Eastern Suburbs completed the season undefeated. This is the first time, since Eastern Suburbs did so in the inaugural 1965 season, and the first time two clubs have done so in the same season.

ニュージーランドノーザン・プレミアリーグは、ニュージーランドで開催されるサッカートーナメントです。このリーグは、北島地域のトップクラブが参加し、優れたプレーヤーたちが競い合います。ニュージーランドノーザン・プレミアリーグは、その高いレベルと競争力で知られており、国内外から多くの注目を集めています。

このトーナメントは、シーズン全体を通じて行われ、各クラブはホーム・アンド・アウェーの方式で試合を行います。優勝チームは、ニュージーランドのサッカー界で最も栄誉あるタイトルである「ニュージーランドノーザン・プレミアリーグチャンピオン」となります。

ニュージーランドノーザン・プレミアリーグは、若手選手の育成にも力を入れており、多くの有望な若手選手が出場しています。また、国内外からもトップクラブのスカウトが集まり、選手たちは将来のプロ契約を目指してプレーしています。

このトーナメントは、ニュージーランドのサッカーファンにとっては非常に重要なイベントであり、多くのサポーターがスタジアムに詰めかけ、熱狂的な応援を行います。また、テレビ中継やインターネット配信なども行われ、世界中のサッカーファンにも視聴されています。

ニュージーランドノーザン・プレミアリーグは、その競争の激しさと高いレベルから、ニュージーランドサッカーの発展に大きく貢献しています。このトーナメントは、サッカーの魅力を最大限に引き出し、選手たちにとっても貴重な経験となるでしょう。